<p>“Not sure if I buy the “nonprofit established for the public good.” Eminent domain for roads is one thing, but why should an exclusive private school be on much higher ground than the mall developer?”</p>
<p>ok columbia and educational institutes definitely do lead to more public welfare than a mall, columbia does a ton of community service which serves the public wellbeing. but yes columbia university is not precisely a public good. Although in many ways it’s used as one, like residents bringing their children to the lawns and using it as a park in the evenings, or the free internet access on terminals at the entrances of buildings. your refusal to see a spectrum, of what leads to the betterment of the area, isn’t taking this thread anywhere.</p>
<p>“Why is a “gimmie more money” holdout entitled to less sympathy? What about business owners who have owned a business somewhere for their entire lives and established a ton of goodwill?”</p>
<p>um the goodwill is being overestimated here, the major business obstinately staying there, is a storage warehouse, yes there is established goodwill but how much. Moreover columbia is already paying well above market price to all they are displacing. it is absolutely in the land owners interest to inflate his business’s value, and he will continue to do so unless there’s an ultimatum, basics of game theory C02, you should be very familiar with this. the government can step in when the overwhelming ultilitarian interests are blocked. That being said, columbia is committed to negotiation and eminent domain is not on the horizon.</p>